Introducing Fox Run Nature Center

Explore the rich wonders of the forest and all it can teach us.

As with the Bear Creek Nature Center and the Fountain Creek Nature Center, the new Fox Run Nature Center will function as an educational and interpretive center, this time focusing on the Black Forest and its ponderosa forests. The visitor’s experience will be one that balances the engaging indoor interpretations that reveal the adjacent natural setting of the forest with expanding their understanding and care for the quality of the forest and ecosystem beyond. A versatile media room will be available to the public for gatherings of all kinds, from lectures and meetings to parties. The Nature Center, nestled in the forest topography, will be the hub for interpretive trails of various lengths that are  interconnected with the existing park trail system.

Project Mission

The Fox Run Nature Center is an investment in future generations to inspire and create stewards of nature in the Pikes Peak Region.

Project Vision

The Fox Fun Nature Center will ‘grow’ from the unique setting and distinctive character of the black forest by integrating the site, building, and exhibits into one holistic experience that celebrates the natural environment and fosters stewardship of the land while connecting people from all walks of life.

Recreational Integrity

Our strategy is to ensure that the Fox Run Nature Center is welcoming and open to all, universally accessible, and its programs reflect the many different historical and cultural influences that shape our connection to the natural world.

Core El Paso County Project Team

  • Todd Marts, Director, Parks and Community Services
  • Brain Bobeck, Park Operations Division Manager
  • Theresa Odello, Recreation and Cultural Services Division Manager
  • Jason Meyer, Planning Supervisor
  • Dana Nordstrom, Community Outreach Coordinator

Project Design Team

Recreational Integrity Goals

1

Fox Run Nature Center (FRNC) design elements will ensure the facility and surrounding grounds are accessible to a diverse audience including those with disabilities.

2

FRNC will strive to ensure that its staff, volunteers, visitors, participants, and all others involved with the organization reflect the community we serve.

3

FRNC will work consistently to create an inclusive culture and promote universal access to facilities, programs, and other opportunities, by actively inviting, engaging, and collaborating with people from all walks of life.

4

FRNC will celebrate and recognize the unique contributions of all people, and provide opportunities for shared learning, growth and understanding.

5

FRNC will protect our natural and cultural resources that tell our history and promote a more sustainable future.

Project Timeline

As with any great project, El Paso County’s vision for the nature center started years before with the inclusion of a Northern Nature Center in the El Paso County Master Plan in 2013. Their commitment to the project continued through the years and became more than a mirage with the completion of the Northern Nature Center Feasibility Study in 2019 followed closely by the Northern El Paso County Nature Center Interpretive Master Plan in 2020. Since then the County has engaged a team of designers, architects and engineers to make their vision a reality.
In December of 2022, the County and the Design Team participated in two workshops to identify and focus their vision for the interpretive nature of the center as well as their programmatic requirements for the building. The County and Design Team then walked the site several times to determine the best location for the new center, one that balanced the proximity and separation to the park amenities, trails, utilities and forest diversity.
The Design Team recently presented three concepts for the building and interpretive experience for the Nature Center to county staff. Once the County provides feedback the Design Team will create a final comprehensive design.
A public meeting is planned once the final concept has been approved. Stay tuned for the meeting notification.
The design process will continue to refine and progress, verifying adjacencies, areas, functions, exhibit intentions, views and materials. At specific levels of completion, the project will be reviewed by the County and budget pricing will be provided. 
A public meeting is planned for the project in the Fall of 2023.
The goal is to have the final design and construction documents completed by the end of 2023.
Recreational Integrity

Our strategy is to ensure that the Fox Run Nature Center is welcoming and open to all, universally accessible, and its programs reflect the many different historical and cultural influences that shape our connection to the natural world.

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